Page 19 - bne_newspaper_November_03_2017

Eastern Europe
November 3, 2017 www.intellinews.com I Page 19
Ukraine's anti-corruption agency detains interior minister's son
Sergei Kuznetsov in Kyiv
The National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU), the country's main antigraft body, de- tained Oleksandr Avakov, son of the Interior Min- ister Arsen Avakov, on October 31 on suspicion of embezzling more than UAH14mn ($520,500).
Two other people were also detained — the deputy head of the Interior Ministry Serhiy Chebotar and a local businessman. They were allegedly involved in procuring backpacks at the expense of the min- istry to the National Guard at a price much higher than the average market price, according to the NABU's statement published the same day.
According to the information of the pre-trial in- vestigation, the goods were not delivered on time and besides did not meet the requirements estab- lished by the interior ministry, as a result of which the state suffered financial losses.
Avakov has been released by a court in Kyiv, but the court put him under electronic tagging sur- veillance, the Ukrainska Pravda portal reported on November 1.
The NABU has become increasingly active over the past year. The most prominent official the agency accused of corruption was Mykola Martynenko, an ex-MP and close associate
of former prime minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk,
who was briefly detained by law enforcers for suspected embezzlement.
Earlier, NABU detained the head of Ukraine’s State Fiscal Service, Roman Nasirov, who alleg- edly provided restructuring of rent payments for gas production companies associated with fugitive Ukrainian lawmaker Oleksandr Onyshchenko. Na- sirov is accused of giving an order that cost the state budget UAH2bn.
On October 31, Ukraine's interior ministry said
in a statement that the NABU's actions provide grounds for a new information campaign directed against the minister.
"There are obviously domestic and foreign back- ers, whose intention is restoring the old corrupt system of [illegal] protection and behind-the- stage dealing. NABU is engaging in political, but not legal, actions," the statement reads. "This is unacceptable and requires immediate correction."
In October, the NABU and the Specialised Anti- Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAPO) said they are investigating possible involvement of senior officials of the country's Defence Ministry into alleged embezzling over UAH149mn ($5.6mn) in state funds during the purchase of fuel for the ministry.
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